A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I talked yesterday about the new bronzing cream from Manasi Makeup which works to inject both colour and luminosity onto the complexion.  Today I want to take things a step closer to Summer and introduce you to a different kind of bronzing formula.  Never in my 18-years of wearing makeup have I ever found a powder bronzer that looks entirely natural against my skin-tone.  For many years, I thought that I was looking at the wrong brands and so I graduated from the BarryM’s of the world to the lofty heights of Guerlain bronzers, which I still believe offer some of the best shades for pale skin.

But now I’m ditching the powders.

Sure, I’ll still use them for contour… they offer great precision and I’m hopelessly attached to my Illamasqua Rumour and my NYX Taupe (which, ironically, are both marketed as blushers rather than bronzers) but for that all-over hint of colour that gives the impression of sun-kissed skin?  Nope, there’s a better option out there for us.

Looking frighteningly dark in the bottle, you might find it hard to believe that these two products offer the solution we’re looking for… but take the time to look a little more closely at a pair of products that have been somewhat of a revelation for my sun-shy skin.

Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Bronze Concentrate* (drhauschka.co.uk, £27.45) offers a blend-able and realistic tanning pigment in a lightweight formula.  Once worked into the skin, the translucency allows your natural colouring to give the impression that the tone has self-adapted to suit your undertones.  It’s buildable from the lightest of applications, providing anything from a sheer glow right up to an intense depth of colour.

Being a liquid, you can use it to custom-fit any foundations that may be proving a little pale for your summer skin or you could even add it to your daily moisturiser for a lazy boost of colour without the full-on tan effect.

I prefer to use this on my face, delivering a shimmer-free hint of colour in a non-oily formula that lasts well through the day.  The image below shows the product lightly blended over bare skin… you can blend it more sheerly by mixing with your moisturiser or foundation.  Completely adjustable colour.

Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate – Ingredients:
Water/Aqua, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Alcohol, Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Lysolecithin, Beeswax/Cera Flava, Fragrance/Parfum, Citral, Linalool, Farnesol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Algin, Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut) Oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex/CI 75810, Iron Oxide/CI 77491, Iron Oxide/CI 77492, Iron Oxide/CI 77499.

Douvall’s Argan Bronzing Oil* (urbanretreat.co.uk, £32.00) works along the same principles as Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Bronze Concentrate but there are some subtle differences that makes this one more suitable for use on the body (in my opinion).  As the name might suggest, the formula is alltogether more oily, making it an exceptionally blendable, streak-free option which can be used as a standalone moisturising product thanks to some beautifully nourishing ingredients.

It contains a subtle shimmer which looks beautiful worn across the decolletage, arms, and shins but would perhaps prove a little too glowy for the face.  The dewy finish peps up tired skin and imparts a naturally healthy glow – according to the bottle – you can even apply it to your hair, something I’ll admit I haven’t tried yet.

Unfortunately, the packaging is far from perfect… I manage to make a mess each time I put the the pipette back in the bottle and have to wipe clean the bottle-neck before I can screw the lid back on… a pump-dispenser like the Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate would have been a better choice.

You can see the subtle shimmer in the above photo, it’s really very pretty and understated, just enough to catch the sun and create a 3D effect on the skin.

Douvall’s Argan Bronzing Oil – Ingredients:
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Squalane**, Silica**, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Mica, Limonene, Linalool, Citral ,CI 77491, CI 77499CI 77492

Do you use bronzing products?

* press sample

When your skintone is resolutely adhering to its own fish-belly chic agenda, a girl has no choice but to combat the anaemic look with a touch of bronzer.  Well, she does have a choice… but unless she’s Anne Hathaway/Nicole Kidman/Julianne Moore, there’s always the risk of looking more pilsbury than palesbury without it.

Finding my perfect bronzer shade has been a journey of epic, I repeat, epic proportions.  I mean, let’s face it – I’m 31 and can only now feel confident enough to say that I have found something that could even be considered to come under the hallowe’d Holy Grail tag.

Laura Geller’s Air Whipped Bronzer (still a name in beauty that doesn’t get much UK blog love) has me turning myself inside out with glee over its slightly cool undertones that warm me up without creosoting my complexion.  Throw in a formula that would please even the most die-hard of Soleil Tan de Chanel fans and you’ve got the perfect bronzing combination for pale pink types.

The packaging is kinda ugly but I can vouch for its effectiveness in keeping the cream contents suitably hydrated and whippy.  Pigment is impressive but buildable and the texture really is so very light and blendable, providing you don’t leave it long enough to set.  And set it does, steadfastly – you get about 20 seconds before it dries down, so blend quickly and efficiently once you’ve sheered the product out.

The matte formula makes Laura Geller’s Air Whipped Bronzer an absolutely perfect contour shade and I usually buff this in to my imaginary cheek hollows before using whats left on the brush down the edges of my nose and at my temples.  My favourite tool to pair with this is a stippling brush, which I find gives me greater flexibility and a lighter touch.

An alternative use for this bronzer would be to mix a little into your daily moisturiser for an all-over glow, I think this would work pretty well thanks to the airy texture and gentle colour.  Now that I’ve fallen so deeply for this product, I’d love to see a shimmer version too!  Just for those days when a little bit of sparkle ain’t no bad thing!

Sadly, the Laura Geller Air Whipped Bronzer is not easily available within the UK.  Your best bet is to head on to the QVC website or hit up eBay to find a source – LG is one brand that I sincerely wish I could find in a bricks and mortar store, I’d love to play with all those baked goodies!

Laura Geller Air Whipped Bronzer is priced at £26 and available to buy online at QVC.co.uk

Do you have a favourite contour shade that you can’t live without?

For someone who’s scared of bronzers… I own a few.  I’ve also ditched many more.  The ones that I’ve kept work for me, though not without effort.  This isn’t a fault of the products… it’s my unconfidence with application and with wear.

The ones that I’m showing you are my current favourites based on their tone.  With my (admittedly) untrained eye… they all complement cool-toned skin.  I should also point out that I’m not talking bronzer for contouring – these are all the products I use to mostly just warm up my complexion and give it a sunkissed look.

Swatched in the same order from left to right (note that swatches are to show tone, not intensity… some are VERY heavily swatched):

1. Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Maui (£23.50)

Is it a blush, is it a bronzer?  Well… it looks a bit like a blush but if Bobbi says it’s a bronzer, who the hell am I to argue?  Maui is a warm pink shimmer that’s shot through with golden sparkle.  It’s an incredibly easy-to-use bronzer because it never looks muddy and on the rare ocassion that I actually do catch a bit of genuine sunlight… it’s much closer to how my skin would naturally colour than the more traditional golden browns available.

2. NARS Blush in Douceur L.E. (£19.50)*

Being a limited edition item <–ignore, am stoopid – it’s not Limited Edition!  I wasn’t going to include this one.  But it’s still available online at HQHair… so I figured it couldn’t hurt?  Now… this is a blush (if I’m not gonna argue with Bobbi, I’m certainly gonna agree with Francois!) but on my skintone, this matte blush works very nicely as a light pink/brown bronzer.  Although it looks dark in the pan, it’s the 2nd sheerest that I’m showing you.  Even I can’t mess this one up.  Just perfect.

3. Becca Pressed Shimmer Powder in Princess (£30)

Again, not a bronzer per se, Becca’s PSP in Princess is just lovely.  It’s shimmery but not AT ALL glittery… it’s very well behaved and grown up about things.  Smooth in texture, it imparts a subtle sun-kissed glow to my cheeks that is never overcooked.  Pricey, but worth it.

4. Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Rumour (£16)

If there were one black sheep in the set, this would be it (being Illamasqua, it had to be the naughty one didn’t it?)  The tone is perfect – devoid of any orange… and being so matte, it makes the best contour shade I own.  The problem is, that’s not saying a lot because it’s the ‘only’ contour shade I own.  I find Rumour a little hard to work with due to it’s heavy pigmentation and it can end up looking a bit muddy.  I want to love it and I feel that it’s my inexperience that stops me rather than the product itself.  Any tips for this one ladies?

5.Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder in Blondes (£31.50)

Finally, a classic.  The sheerest of the lot (and the most expensive!)  Blondes is the lightest of the three shimmery bronzer options from Guerlain.  I also own the lightest in the matte version but reach for this one more often.  I would defy anyone to overdo this… it’s a must-have for pale skintones.

Other honourable mentions: Bobbi Brown Antigua, Bobbi Brown Bali Brown, The Body Shop Warm Glow, Guerlain Terracotta 01 (matte)

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I know that all my bronzers are at the higher-end of the price spectrum… but experience has shown me that if I want to rid myself of orange-toned monstrosities, this is where I have to look.  Please do comment and let me know if things have improved in that respect on the high street because I’ll be one of the first out the door to go check out a bargain alternative!

What are some of your favourite bronzers?

* denotes PR sample.

I like these Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzers… they’re lovely for fair skin types who quite like the idea of bronzers but just don’t really know how to make them work.

I own a few…

Antigua, Maui and now Bali Brown.

In hindsight, I should have probably gone one stop paler and plumped for Aruba, but never mind… I like a challenge!

Bali Brown is a golden bronze that stops short of looking dirty on my skintone.  It is a much warmer bronzing shade than I’d normally dare to reach for, but with a light hand it warms up my complexion without looking too bronzy!

It contains a fairly subtle sparkle, so as with my other Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzers.. I wouldn’t use this as a contour shade.  We aren’t even close to disco cheeks territory though… this is safe to use with a little bit of reckless abandon.  A little bit, I said.

I’ve just had a thought… is it ok to wear bronzer in the Winter?  I’m one of those people that need a hint of colour on their cheeks to avoid that “freshly dug up” look.  Will I be commiting some kind of cosmetic faux pas dusting this on my cheeks once the clocks go back?!

I mean… I just freakin’ spent £23.50 on it, so I’m gonna rock it through wind, rain and snow regardless.  I just won’t tell anyone when I’m doing it 😉

Do you bronze regardless of the changing seasons?

It was the the Body Shop Summer Baked to Last bronzers that caught my eye in store before anything else when they were released at the start of the Summer.  They have that whole MAC MSF thing going on don’t they?  We were introduced to them more closely at a blogger event in the Summer…

Priced At £14 each, one could easily argue that they are aimed at the same kind of market as MAC.  So let’s see how they shape up shall we?

Warm Glow – £14

Warm Glow is the paler of the two shades and despite it’s name, isn’t actually too warm at all.  A hint of pinkness mixed in with the warmer brown tones keeps this from being too orange.

Well pigmented with a fine shimmer, the above shows a heavy swatch on the inside of my wrist.  You can see that I have to work quite lightly with this bronzer but to be honest… that’s the case for 99.9% of all bronzers I use anyway!

What I really like about this product is that unlike the MAC MSFs I’ve tried in the past, this doesn’t give my face any kind of metallic sheen.  The shimmer adds a glow without being too obvious.  I wouldn’t use this to contour, I prefer to use matte shades for that… but dusted lightly onto the cheeks?  It’s a really nice warm (without being too warm) bronzer.

Love it!

Golden Bronze – £14

A far deeper affair than Warm Glow.  Golden Bronze is clearly more suited to darker skintones or those looking for a more dramatic effect.

I found the texture of Golden Bronze to be a tiny bit harder than Warm Glow, it didn’t swatch quite as smoothly either.  You can see that I would struggle to use this shade as anything other than an eyeshadow but again, it benefits from a lovely sheen that isn’t too obvious.

Overall, I was impressed with both of these samples I was given and it’s not very often that I’ll say that a Body Shop makeup item is worth the asking price.  I ‘get’ why it’s more expensive than other high street offerings… products produced from ethically sourced base ingredients often are.  But judged purely on it’s quality as a cosmetic product?  These are worth the asking price.

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Also, isn’t it soon that The Body Shop start discounting their Summer cosmetics online?  Keep an eye out ladies because I see that the Autumn blushes are out online (and looking flippin’ gorgeous!)

You can purchase the Baked to last Bronzers online or instore priced at £14 each.

I picked this up on a recent expedition to one of my local Boots stores.

Prestige are originally a US brand, now sold in over 45 countries globally.  Over here, they’re available in larger Boots stores.

When I saw the Skin Loving Minerals Brozing Powders, I was surprised to see one of them so pale in tone… infact, sad old git that I am… I got quite excited and practically skipped to the checkouts.  Although, not before adding half the Bourjois stand to my basket.

Anyway, shopaholic tendencies aside, how does this stack up?

It’s a baked, marbelized pressed powder with a lot of shimmer, but no glitter.  Texture is smooth enough, but not as smooth as some…. I’m thinking of the LE No7 Highlighting Powder which glides like velvet onto the skin (I don’t own it – I think 4 pale gold powder highlighters are quite enough for one makeup addict’s collection – at least that’s the mantra).

I really like the packaging, it’s not fancy… it’s not even particularly pretty, but it feels quite modern and I can’t think of too many producs that are housed in little clear perspex-esque boxes like this.  It’s functional and clean. Thumbs up.

You can see how shimmery it is (maybe the shade name “Pure Shimmer” should have given me… yano… a freaking clue!).  You need a  fairly light touch and I use it as a highlighter not a bronzer… I’m not a discoball.  I think it’s even too shimmery to use on the crests of your facial contours… I wouldn’t want a strip of this running down the bridge of my nose for example…

But, as a highlighter, I really like it.  It imparts a healthy glow and does all that lovely shimmery stuff when you turn your head slightly.  Compared to NARS Albatross, it’s not a bad dupe at all really colour/shimmer-wise.  Mr. L couldn’t tell the difference.  But before I start shouting DUPE Alert left, right and centre… I’ll have a proper look at both under some natural light, I think the Prestige may be a touch more golden…

Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Bronzers are available in 3 shades and are currently on offer in Boots stores nationwide, priced at £6.99 each (a saving of £2 on the RRP)

Any kind of bronzer scares me, the thought of it leaves me feeling a little shakey, damp palmed and out of my depth.

I’m pretty pale.  Not in a beautiful Anne Hathaway delicate porcelain doll way unfortunately.  I’m her ruddier, blotchier capillaried sister.

Either way, I have never learnt how to DO bronzer successfully.  I know how it’s supposed to work and be applied.  In theory it’s easy.  I am just so far from achieving that gently sunkissed, delicately contoured natural look that it’s untrue.

Although thankfully, not as far as him:

So, when I saw the Eyeko tinted cream, I was both interested and horrified in equal measure…

Is it just me or does that look very, very brown…

I love the original Eyeko cream and add a small amount to my foundation every morning.  As long as I’m light handed, it leaves an incredibly beautiful slightly soft focus brightening glow to my complexion, without being shimmery or glittery.  As an aside, if I attempt to use the cream as a highlighter alone, it sinks into my pores rendering them insanely noticeable – weird.

The question is, would the tinted cream have the same lovely effect as the original cream if I mix a little with my moisturiser and apply sparingly to areas that I would ‘bronze’… or would I look like an Oompah Loompah with enlarged pores…

A quandry indeed.  If anyone fancies trying this out for themselves, it’s available from Eyeko for a meagre £5 with free shipping, and feel free to use my ambassador code (E3208) for a free gift.

My bargainous baked bronzer turned up today, hoorah!  Bronzer is something that scares me.  Being so pale and uninteresting I screw it up on a regular basis.  This one seems really light and shimmery though (shade 01), perhaps a little too light actually judging by the swipe I just made on my fingertip.

First impression is that it seems as cheap as it was.  The lid nearly splintered into 2 halves trying to open the damn thing to take a picture.  Texture seems soft though, not gritty or particularly chalky.

Will let you know how I get on with it.  It’s pooh.  See below*:

Oh, *psst* – by the way, that Baked Bronzer I got… the one by La Femme with all the pretty gold and white veining… load of pooh, really.  I can’t get the product to show up on me.  It doesn’t bronze, brighten or even highlight.  I was hoping for subtle, but existent would have been nice.  Perhaps a darker shade would be more evident, but my opinion of it is so… *meh*… that I can’t be arsed to order another.

*taken from this post